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There are some things money can't buy but you sure as hell wish they could.
Domino Effect: The Wheels On The Truck Go Round and Round
His bed was moving gently and he could feel the small jumps that it made every now and then. Naruto blinked at the absurdity of the observation and realized that this could not possibly be his hard, lumpy bed. Memories of the Festival of the Fourth came rushing back to him and Naruto stiffened in panic. "How long have I been sleeping," he wailed as he made his way to the top of the clothes pile. Sneaking to the side of the truck, he pulled back the tarp and was met with the site of sand as far as the eye could see and a barely distinguishable road that the truck was driving down. The truck stopped suddenly and Naruto found himself tumbling to the front of the truck. Naruto got ready to jump out of the truck but was stopped by a hand grabbing him by the gruff of his shirt. He braced himself to be forcibly tossed from the truck.
"Calm down kid," ordered a stern but gentle voice. Naruto found himself being lifted gently through the back window of the cab and into an empty seat. Naruto looked up and came face to face with a tall but gentle looking man standing over him. Right away, his eyes were drawn to the man's unusually white hair and his calm blue eyes. The man shut the window and pulled back to sit in the front seat. The cab of the truck was a five-seater and Naruto saw that there was another figure in the front passenger seat. The figure peered around at him, revealing himself to be a kid Naruto's age that was so beautiful that he was certain that she was a girl.
"He's a boy," the man informed him with a smile. Naruto gaped.
"Wow, I didn't know a boy could be pretty!" The boy gasped and drew back in his seat again.
"From the mouth of babes," replied the man with a chuckle. "My name is Sasame and this is Haku," he continued while starting the truck again.
"My name in Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto." He flinched and waited for the shouts of disgust but none came.
"That's a nice strong name. I imagine that you're from Konoha. So, what brought you to our truck?" Naruto settled back in his seat, grateful for the AC that was blasting from the vents. He told Sasame his story, trying not to cry, and was shocked when Haku climbed back to give him a hug.
"Don't you guys hate me?" asked Naruto softly and Sasame gave a mysterious smile.
"Did you know that ninja are banned in some parts of water country?" Naruto shook his head. "Back during the wars ninja were responsible for many deaths among the citizens and when the wars ended they were driven out of the villages by citizens who were afraid that they would not loose there love for killing. Most ninja grouped together in Kirigakure no Sato but some ninja abandoned their identities and hid amongst the villagers. Haku is from one such family. When his father discovered what he and his mother were he attacked them out of fear and killed Haku's mother." Naruto gasped and looked to Haku, who was crying softly. "I had been preparing to move to Konoha but the engine to my truck broke down at the last minute and it took me another week to get the right part. I left Kirigakure late and ended up driving through Haku's home village on the day that it happened. Haku was so terrified that he ran out into the road and almost got hit by me. I ended up taking him to Konoha with me and we've been living there together for the past three months. The point is that something bad happened in the past and so Haku was feared and attacked even though he had nothing to do with it. I believe that you are the same." Naruto looked to Haku and smiled sadly.
Sometime later, Naruto spoke up again. "Where are we going Sasame-san?" Sasame laughed.
"You can just call me Sasame. We're going to Sunagakure. Cloth is rare in that part of the country and so I regularly fill orders from there. We should reach the village by nightfall. Tomorrow we'll sell the cloth and then the day after we'll head back to Konohagakure. I'm sure that the villagers will have calmed down by then but I'll go have a talk with your guardian.
"I don't have one," said Naruto quietly. Sasame gave him a startled look through his rearview mirror. "The orphanage kicked me out so I live in an apartment by myself." Sasame stiffened.
"A very long talk with Hokage-sama then." Haku looked at the two of them and turned to Naruto with a smile.
"Hey, want to play?" he asked shyly. Naruto looked around the cab in confusion.
"Play what?" Haku smiled and held up a fist.
"Janken."
Authors Note:
Okay people, there is my next chapter. As you may have guessed, Sasame was the first domino (well really his truck was). Expect the next one on Wednesday. Questions? Comments? Like? Hate? Beta?
Much thanks to I-Love-Haku (my first reviewer). I dedicate this Haku appearance to you. Sigh. So many hits and only one review. It's my fault though because I was accidentally blocking anonymous reviews. I've got that straightened up now.
If you want to know what Sasame looks like then think Sasame from Pretear. I'm too lazy to describe him and he's my favorite anime character right now. This is not a crossover, though, and there will be no romance (They're only five!).